Myrna Staten pleads not guilty to child abuse charges

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Myrna Staten

Myrna Staten pleads not guilty to child abuse charges

Myrna Staten

RACINE — A Racine mother charged with physical abuse of a child for allegedly placing her two-year-old son in scalding water waived her preliminary hearing and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday morning, December 5th.

The boy was brought to St. Mary’s Emergency Room on Thursday, November 29th around 12:30 p.m. The medical staff found the boy had suffered second-degree burns to the tops of his feet and to his ankles. Additionally, there was a burn line on the boy that ended at the top of the ankles in a very straight pattern. Investigators say this type of burn is indicative of a dunking type of burn — consistent with someone being submersed in hot water.

The criminal complaint against Staten says she first told investigators that the boy had spilled a bucket of hot water on himself. She said the bucket was on the floor and filled with boiling water she was using to clean the floor. She later said the boy attempted to climb up on the bucket in an attempt to get cake from the counter — and fell into the bucket of water.

A while later, Staten told investigators she was sorry. The complaint indicates she said “she wanted to…tell the truth about what had happened.” She indicated the boy is a very difficult child and he is not like his siblings.

If convicted of the charge, Staten faces up to 40 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.

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